NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Penguins might not have started strong Tuesday. But they were the better team when it mattered to win their third straight game.
The surging Penguins rallied in the third period to defeat the Nashville Predators, 3-1, at Bridgestone Arena. They have now won three games in a row.
After two scoreless periods, former Penguins forward Mark Jankowski gave the Predators the game’s first lead with 12:59 remaining in regulation. He was able to skate in alone on Tristan Jarry because of Kris Letang’s inexplicable giveaway in the defensive zone, making a blind pass straight to Jankowski.
Jankowski juked Jarry out of his jock, spoiling his shutout bid after 22 saves.
But Sidney Crosby got behind the Predators defense and beat their All-Star goalie, Juuse Saros, between the legs on a breakaway about four minutes later.
Brock McGinn, who was placed on waivers before the game but was still eligible to suit up against the Predators, snapped his streak of 26 games without a point, which dated back to Dec. 22, when he sprung Crosby for his breakaway.
Jason Zucker scored the winner with 1:39 left. The Penguins forced a turnover with some ferocious puck pursuit then Zucker squeezed a shot under Saros.
Jarry made 24 saves, but only two in the third period, to win his second straight.
In his last two starts, Jarry has alleviated any concern about the state of his game coming off of his latest injury. After he was yanked in Thursday’s loss to Edmonton, he responded with a win in St. Louis and another strong outing here.
The Penguins weren’t as stingy in front of him as the final score would indicate. The created a number of quality looks off the rush or through the cycle game, and their power play, quarterbacked by Roman Josi, put Jarry to the test.
If not for the play of Jarry, the Penguins would have been chasing in the third.
The Penguins had played better in opening periods the last two weeks, but they reverted back to their old ways in Nashville. They allowed their standard odd-man rush on the game’s first shift. In a twist, they made it a breakaway this game. The Predators didn’t slow down, out-shooting them 14-4 at one point.
Thankfully for the Penguins, Jarry was locked in. He made a few challenging saves early, including his big blocker save on that Mikael Granlund breakaway.
The second period was an improvement. The Penguins gained a bit of momentum from their power play. Drew O’Connor gave the Predators problems with his speed and size off the rush. Bryan Rust and Brock McGinn had key blocks.
But after two they still had nothing to show for it, except for maybe a few bumps and bruises. Evgeni Malkin was crunched in the corner by Zach Sanford. Cal Foote got away with a blatant punch to the back of Jake Guentzel’s head. Letang limped around for a bit after he took an awkward tumble near the boards.
After the Penguins rallied to grab the lead late in regulation, Jarry sprawled to stop Granlund with the net empty at the other end. That save ensured that the Penguins would secure their first three-game winning streak since December.
Bryan Rust dove to score a snazzy empty-net goal in the game’s final seconds.
ICE CHIPS
— Despite being placed on waivers Tuesday afternoon, McGinn was in the lineup for the Penguins. He was eligible to play as Pittsburgh waits to see if another team claims the winger. The deadline to claim him is Wednesday at 2 p.m.
— The Penguins also waived Mark Friedman, who did not play Tuesday night.
— Ryan Poehling missed his eighth straight game with an upper-body injury. He was cleared for full contact, though, and participated in the morning skate.
— About two hours before Tuesday’s game, the Predators traded Mattias Ekholm, one of their longest-tenured players and top defensemen, to the Edmonton Oilers. That was the fifth trade made by the Predators in the last four days.
COMING UP
Wednesday is a travel day for the Penguins. Up next is the Lightning on Thursday in Tampa, Fla. Their three-game road trip concludes Saturday at Florida.
